


There's More Ways than One to Regain Your Senses

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Drama, F/M, M/M, Romance, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-12
Updated: 2015-11-12
Packaged: 2018-05-01 08:11:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5198597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The comforts of home were calling; Mike was aching for them.  He hardly wanted to hang up the phone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	There's More Ways than One to Regain Your Senses

**Author's Note:**

> I've officially used this title, a line from my favorite Elton John song Live Like Horses, in every major fandom I've written in now. It was worth noting.

“It’s been a long day.” Liv said, putting her chin in her hand as she leaned on her desk.

“Why don’t you just come home, mi amor?”

“I'm going to see Amanda tonight; I didn’t make it there the last time I promised.”

“Bedrest is surely killing her.”

“According to Fin, she's chomping at the bit. I thought I’d take some food over and we’d just hang out for an hour or so. None of this has been easy for her. I'm sorry.”

“What are you apologizing for?” he asked.

“It sounds like you're going home.”

“Oh I am. My eyes are starting to cross and my neck hurts. Noah and I will watch _A Pup Named Scooby Doo_ and likely eat French fries.”

“Don’t feed Noah French fries.”

“I would say come home and stop me but no need to pile on the guilt.”

“I appreciate it.”

“I know this was a tough one, Liv.”

“Aren’t they all?” she asked. “I haven’t had a single one yet that didn’t have the potential to keep me up at night. Some of this hit home though.”

“I'm sure it did. You go to Amanda’s and try to relax some. Then when you come home we’ll take a hot bath together. I’ll use one of those lavender bath bombs you love so much.”

“I want that now.” She sighed.

“Good things come to those who wait. Look how long it took me to get you, and I have very limited patience.”

“You're the best Counselor.”

“I love you, Olivia. I love you very, very much.”

“I love you too. Don’t fall asleep before I get there.”

“Cross my heart and all that stuff. Tell Rollins I said hello.”

“Will do. Bye.”

Liv hung up the phone. It probably wasn’t a good idea to be chatting on the office phones, but her cell phone had been acting up all day. She threw it into her bag and walked out of her office. Her squad was tired and it showed. Even with a new sergeant they were short staffed. 

Dodds was still new, still learning the ropes. Liv thought he was a good cop. Had this case gotten to him? It definitely had. He managed to keep that just below the surface, for the most part, and bring it home for the victim’s family. 

She looked at him across the squad room and knew he was in another world. He was in a world where they saved Lily before it was too late. He was in a world where there was a happy ending. That wasn’t a good world to be in. After telling Carisi and Fin she would meet them at Amanda’s place, she went to talk to him.

“Go home, Dodds. Talk with someone you love and don’t let this job become your entire life. You'll be back in the morning, it'll be waiting for you. It’s over for tonight.”

“Pyrrhic victories really are the name of the game in SVU.” He said in a low tone.

“Unfortunately, pyrrhic victories are the name of the game in life. The ones who are still here when the sun sets, they do their best to make it to the sunrise. You're still here.”

He nodded and said goodnight. He made sure Olivia was gone before he opened the file one more time. The case was closed, there was nothing else he could do. Lily Evans was dead and Gary had confessed. It was up to the DA and a jury now. 

There were more cases to solve and sadly more crimes coming to investigate. This wasn’t a job that ever stopped. That’s what made it so difficult for him to turn it off. He often pushed and pushed, wanting all the answers. 

Most of the time they didn’t satisfy when he even managed to get them. Sighing, Mike put the file in one of his desk bins, grabbed his jacket, and started walking out. It would be here tomorrow; he would be here tomorrow. It was time to go.

“Hey,” he spoke into his cell phone as he waited for the elevator down. “I'm coming home.”

“Seriously?”

“Don’t sound so incredulous.”

“You don’t sound good. Are you alright?”

“I will be. Long day; long case.”

“Is this the missing teenager, the DNA dad?”

“Yeah. But I'm coming home and we don’t talk about work at home.” He walked onto the elevator.

“We talk about my work, which is wonderful because my kids are reciting _Green Eggs and Ham_.”

“They are?” he smiled despite how he was feeling.

“Yes, my brilliant little bees are discovering the fabulous world of Mr. Theodore Geisel.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Mickey. Are you on your way?”

“Absolutely.”

“Bring home some wine and I’ll make a little dinner. It’s been a long week but we’ll make the most of tonight.”

That sounded perfect to him. He was so glad that he hadn’t stayed at his desk working on something that was as good as over. The comforts of home were calling; Mike was aching for them. He hardly wanted to hang up the phone.

“I’ll be home soon.” He said.

“I’ll be here. Don’t forget the wine.”

“I won't.”

***

“I could hear _Hamilton_ from the second I stepped off the elevator.” Mike said when he walked into the door of his Morningside Heights apartment.

“Really? Usually if it’s too loud then Peggy comes and knocks.”

“It’s Thursday.” Mike went and turned down the stereo. “Peggy has Bingo.”

“We know her schedule too well. Come and kiss me.”

Mike smiled, walking into the kitchen. He put the bag from the store on the counter and took James’ face into his hands.

“Hello honey.” He kissed him. “I'm so glad to see you.”

“Me too. You look tired, babe, I hope you're up to dinner.”

“It smells amazing.” Mike went to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Opening it, he loosened his tie and tried to get himself into home mode. Since he started at SVU he'd been home less and less. There wasn’t much to do about that. It had been hard on the couple but not unexpected. Eight years in, James knew what came with the job.

“I'm heating up the lobster stuffed chicken from the other night. I added a honey mustard glaze for a little something different. Though my nana is spinning in her grave, I'm going to make some instant mashed potatoes.”

“Oh Nana is gonna smite you for that. She is going to smite the hell out of you.”

“I know, I know.” James laughed. “So tell me one good thing, Sergeant Dodds.”

“One good thing?”

“Yes.”

It had been a game they played since they first started dating. Mike had been in the closet; meeting and going out with James was absolutely by chance. A friend of his had hooked them up even though Mike never mentioned once about being interested in men. But Patsy knew him too well and when he walked into that Starbucks and saw James, he almost walked out again. 

Patsy said his name was Jamie, well Mike thought he was a she. It was a trick, a bit of a mean trick, but it worked. It wasn’t going so well that first time so James asked him to tell him one good thing about the surprise blind date experience. Eight years later and the couple was still finding one good thing to get them through the tough days.

“I'm almost positive my Lieutenant doesn’t hate me.” Mike said, drinking his beer.

“She couldn’t,” James shook his head. “You're too wonderful.”

“You're my husband…she's my boss. It’s like apples and oranges. My dad dropped me on her and it’s been a bumpy beginning. It’s not easy to be someone’s number two when you don’t have a relationship that you’ve established and grown from.”

“Your dad may have helped you get the job but you have to make it yours, Mickey. You're a good cop…Olivia Benson knows it. Does this fall under talking about work?”

“Nope.” Mike shook his head. “This is officially one good thing. It’s completely different.”

“Mmm hmm. Grab me the mashed potatoes from the cabinet.”

Mike did as he was asked. He put them on the counter, walking behind James and wrapping his arms around him. James took the beer from his hand and drank some. Evenings at home were a rarity. 

They both wanted to make this evening memorable; the big bad world would be waiting for them tomorrow. Since James was a special education teacher, his big, bad world was vastly different from Mike’s. Still, they both had stressful jobs and busy lives. Just being able to relax together was something to be grateful for.

“I want good food.” Mike kissed the nape of James’s neck. “I want candlelight, music, wine, and Hanae Mori sprayed on the sheets.”

“Oh, you want romance? Does that go well with instant mashed potatoes?”

“I think we’re about to find out.”

***

“Mmm,” Liv leaned back on her headrest.

“That feels good, doesn’t it?” Rafael smiled.

“Ohh yes that feels amazing.”

“You have gorgeous feet.” He kissed her foot.

“You're delirious in love, Counselor.”

“I can't deny that.”

Olivia’s tub was filled with hot water, which was now a swirly, lavender, blue, and purple from the bath bombs. She was on one end of the tub and Rafael was on the other with that foot massage as promised. He was running the water when she walked in; she called on the way from dinner at Rollins’ apartment. 90 minutes off duty with her squad, she was home to kiss her sleeping baby and spend some quality time with her man. Work kept them busy and, recently, apart. They talked a lot and Olivia had made a few appearances on Centre Street but for the last week and a half, she had been doing much more cop than court. 

“You got anything down there you need me to massage, Counselor?”

“Ven aquí, mi amor*.” Rafael gently placed her foot back into the water. He smiled as Olivia crawled into his arms. Water splashed around them but he didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around her naked back, kissing her breathless. “I love you.”

“I want to stay home tomorrow.” Liv exhaled and rested her forehead on his. “I want to stay home, snuggling all day under blankets and never answer the phone.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“Let's do it.”

“I have court at 11:30 and a staff meeting at 10.” Rafael said.

“We work too much.” She whispered in his ear before gently biting the lobe.

“Agreed.” He tightened his grip on her hips.

“What should we do about that?”

“Short of leaving our jobs and moving to an island in the Caribbean to open a bar, I don’t know.”

“That sounds so tempting tonight, honey.”

“You know what else sounds tempting tonight?” Rafael kissed her neck and chest not covered by water.

“Is this the part when you talk about all the dirty things you want to do to my body? Say it in Spanish, Rafi, and speak slowly.”

“I usually love to but I'm already in the mood to show. Tell has kind of left the building.”

Liv laughed. She kissed him and then got out of the tub. Rafael watched as she took her time with her towel, drying off some before wrapping it around her body. He was getting out of the tub as Liv left the bathroom. She was in the bedroom doing something nice like she always did on the evenings when they had a little extra time to make a production out of their evening of romance. 

Some nights all the couple could do was climb into bed and make due. Other nights they were so tired it was second base and snooze. There were even some nights where naked cuddling, which was awesome, was all that would take place. Liv and Rafael could make almost anything romantic and Liv could definitely make anything sexy. Once she made him a sandwich in nothing but one of his dress shirts and ties. 

Rafael was sure it was the best sandwich he'd ever eaten in his life. Her being curled up on his lap and sharing it help immensely. He walked into the bedroom, towel around his waist. He saw Liv’s towel over the hamper so Rafael put his there too before climbing into bed with her. 

Her skin was still slightly damp, it smelled like fresh flowers right after the rain. He nibbled on her shoulder as Liv straddled him. She wanted to be on top and he was in no mood to object. Kissing both of his wrists, Liv held them over his head.

“You did something so incredibly sweet for me tonight, Rafael. Now I'm going to return the favor.”

“Me rindo, mi amor**. Ser gentil***.”

Olivia just grinned, that sexy grin that always made butterflies in Rafael’s stomach. Then she shimmied under the covers to massage his thighs. She was teasing and he loved every minute of it. Something good was coming; he had the goosebumps to prove it. And when Olivia started to softly hum, Rafael just closed his eyes and let the magic happen.

***

“You hate Ingrid Bergman.” Mike laughed.

“I don’t hate Ingrid Bergman.” James shook his head.

“I've known you forever, I think I would know if that changed.”

“Hate is such a strong word and it turned out that I didn’t hate her, I just really hate _Casablanca_. Growing up that was all I saw her in…you know that was Nana’s favorite movie. I couldn’t take it after years of indoctrination and I blamed Ingrid. I was wrong. Once I saw _Gaslight_ and _Notorious_ and _Cactus Flower_ …I kinda liked Ingrid Bergman.”

“We could watch _Gaslight_.”

“Sounds perfect.”

Dinner was over and the party had moved to the bedroom. Mike and James spent much of their time there in the evenings. They had a big bed, big TV, laptops and tablets, Netflix…it was paradise. It had been a while since there was actually time for dinner and a movie. Making the decision wasn’t always easy; they had vastly different tastes. 

But relationships came with compromise. James sat through _Brian’s Song_ about 20 times and Mike had come to love _Fried Green Tomatoe_ s. They could always agree on Hitchcock, Woody Allen, and old school Kung Fu movies. Neither was quite in the mood for that tonight.

“I’ll make the popcorn.” Mike got up from the bed.

“We have the extra cheese kind in the cabinet.” James said. “I know I shouldn’t have bought it but I thought we could both use a little comfort food.”

“Two beers and some incredibly fatty popcorn coming right up.”

“I’ll set up the movie.”

While Mike was out in the kitchen he found himself smiling. That seemed so improbable after the case he worked on but he saw his reflection in the microwave and it was true. James could always make him smile, had been the case since their first date and hadn’t changed in eight years. Olivia had been right; talking with someone you love made everything better. If he was still at the squad, toiling over paperwork, Mike would’ve never been able to heal. 

James would’ve been asleep by the time he got home. There would’ve been no lobster stuffed chicken or conversations about Ingrid Bergman. Mike made a pledge to himself as he stood in front of the microwave that he was always going to just come home. To do a good job at SVU he didn’t have to make it his life. He had a life and it was pretty awesome.

“One of us is going to have to do a beer run tomorrow.” Mike walked back into the bedroom.

“I'm betting that’s going to be me.” James took the bowl of popcorn. “I have to go to the market anyway since the triangle is coming over for Sunday dinner.”

“You didn’t tell me the triangle was coming over on Sunday.”

“I was sure I did.” James said.

“I would’ve definitely remembered that. Is there any way we can get out of it?”

The triangle is how the couple referred to Mike’s parents. His mother and father divorced when he was 13 and his mother remarried a couple of years later. So his mother, stepfather, and father made the triangle. His stepfather was a mediator more than anything…having his mother and father in one zip code was never easy. The only solace it gave Mike was that his homosexuality was no longer the biggest elephant in the room.

“We’re not getting out of it.” James put his arm around him. “It’s going to be fine. We do two hours, we smile, we look at your mom’s vacation photos, we avoid your dad’s awkward gay questions…we can do this. We've done it a billion times.”

“I should’ve moved to South Carolina like my sister.” Mike groaned. “She never has to endure this.”

James laughed. He kept his arm around him and started the movie. They would make it through dinner with the triangle. They would make it through Mike’s rough start at SVU. It had been almost ten years and though there were both good and bad times, no one had yet to go running for the exit. He was pretty sure they'd make it through anything.

***

**Author's Note:**

> *Come here, my love.  
> **I surrender my love.  
> ***Be gentle.


End file.
